Period: Eagle Eyes
Dates: c.1979 until c.1983
Cat No: 34326
The Action Man Battle of Britain Pilot (or Action Man RAF Pilot as he is commonly referred to) was a set made to commemorate the RAF's finest hour during 1940. He was launched in 1979 alongside his foe, an Action Man Luftwaffe Pilot. An Action Man Spitfire or ME109 were never produced which is an opportunity missed.
ACTION MAN BATTLE OF BRITAIN PILOT: Jacket, trousers, belt, red scarf, flying helmet, goggles, oxygen mask and pipe, boots, life preserver ('Mae West'), Equipment Manual.
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The Action Man Battle of Britain Pilot uniform has glued on silk printed wings and Pilot Officer band on his cuffs. The tunic has lightly glued on fine fabric printed insignia that are often missing (buy replacements here).It is a very light material and the pocket flaps are hemmed. It correctly has a single brass button below the belt which was correct for 1940, as tunics altered sometime after the Battle of Britain did not have this button and had a separate belt (rather than the belt being sewn to the back of the tunic). His boots are the same pattern as the Luftwaffe Pilot. The oxygen mask barely (if at all) stretches between two holes in the flying helmet. A red scarf is often missing - it is a nylon material and tends to reform into a tube shape instead of laying flat. The life preserver has delicate detailing and along with the goggles and flying helmet, are unique to this set. The 'current Action Man figure at the time of launch in 1979 was an Eagle Eye dynamic body.
Action Man Battle of Britain Pilot Set
Action Man Battle of Britain Pilot tunic and trousers
Action Man Battle of Britain Pilot 'scrambling'
Action Man Battle of Britain Pilot accessories
Action Man Battle of Britain Pilot scarf
Action Man Battle of Britain Pilot flying helmet and goggles
Action Man Battle of Britain Pilot 'wings' with DFC ribbon below.
Action Man Battle of Britain Pilot clothing label
1979 Action Man Official Equipment Manual
ACTION MAN BATTLE OF BRITAIN PILOT 34326 (image courtesy of Vectis Auctions)